Women&#39;s shorts for outdoor wear



April 5, 1966 OVERHOLT 3,243,824

WOMENS SHORTS FOR OUTDOOR WEAR Filed June 27, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l HDoro/by M.

Over/roll INVENTOR ATTORN EY April 5, 1966 D. M. OVERHOLT 3,243,824

WOMENS SHORTS FOR OUTDOOR WEAR Filed June 27, 1W6 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ADorof/ry M. Over/roll l NVE NTOR ATTORNEY April 5, 1966 D. M. OVERHOLTWOMEN'S SHORTS FOR OUTDOOR WEAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 27, 1963Dora/fry M Over/roll INVENTOR United States Patent 3,243,824 WOMENSSHORTS FOR OUTDOOR WEAR Dorothy M. Overholt, St. Petersburg, Fla. (1720Miami Court, Fort Pierce, Fla.) Filed June 27, 1963, Ser. No. 280,887 3Claims. (Cl. 2-238) This invention relates to nether garments and moreparticularly to a garment in the general nature of a pair of shorts foroutdoor wear such as are widely used today by girls and women as thelower half of a sunsuit, etc.

In recent years there has been a great demand in the warmer climates andseasons for womens shorts which are both functional and at the same timeattractive in appearance.

Womens bathing suits-as distinguished from shorts which are intended tocover only the bottom portion of the torso-provide a greater range as tooverall appearance but almost invariably there is an underneath portionwhich while sewed in place is the form of a separate tight-fittingpantie or the likewhich restricts body movement, etc.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide anup-to-date nether garment for women which is designed for maximumcomfort and attractiveness without sacrifice to modesty.

Another object is the provision of an improved garment of the typedescribed which, in addition to the attributes described hereinbefore,is somewhat flexible as concerns the size and shape of the wearer,thereby permitting its being made up commercially in a minimum range ofsizes, such as Small, Medium and Large.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description of same proceeds and the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of thespecification with the understanding, however, that the invention is notconfined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but maybe changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark nomaterial departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a substantially planar development of thenovel nether garment of the present invention and illustrating theposition of the feet of the wearer immediately prior to the applicationof the garment to the body;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view illustrating the first step in applyingthe garment, the same comprising the positioning of the front panel overthe abdomen, extending the strip ties thereof rearwardly, and tying thelatter at a position which is adjacent the small of the back;

FIGURE 3 is View approximating a side elevation and illustrating themanner of drawing the rear or back panel between the legs andpositioning the same over the buttox;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar in nature to that of FIG- URE 2 andillustrating the front panel in position with the extending sideportions of the rear panel in position for movement forwardly around thebody of the wearer;

FIGURE 5 is a view illustrating the final disposition of that area ofthe extending portion of the rear panel which is first secured inposition on the body; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 are front and rear views respectively of the garment asworn.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the novel nether garment ofthe present invention comprises a front panel 2 and a back or rear panel3, the same being connected by a relatively narrow crotch panel 4.

3,243,824 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 As will be observed in FIGURE 1, whereinthe novel nether garment is shown in a substantially planar development,the side edges of the front panel 2 and the side edge of the, back orrear panel 3 are reversely curved as indicated at 2a-2b and 3a3b,respectively; and merge into concave side edges 4a of the crotch panel4.

The front panel 2 is symmetrical about a center-line extendingtransversely of the width thereof. That is to say, its portions lying ateither side of the center-line are the same in size and shape.

The back or rear panel 3 is substantially wider than the front panel 2in both transverse directions; and is asymmetrical, the left-hand sidethereof as viewed in FIGURE 1 extending outwardly from the longitudinalcenter-line for a greater distance than the right-hand side.

Tying strips 12 are secured to and extend from the outer corners of thefront panel 2 and are adapted to be tied together by the wearer at thesmall of the back, preliminary to moving the remainder of the garmentrearwardly between the legs and then raising the back or rear panel 3into position. As aforementioned, this step is represented in FIGURE 2.

After moving the back or rear panel between the legs and then upwardlyover the buttocks the narrower side of the back or rear panel 3 ispositioned as shown at the right-hand side of FIGURE 4 .and then movedforwardly around the left side of the wearer and overlapping the frontpanel 3 to a position which is approximately midway between the crotcharea and the right hip bone. Thus, the lower end of this portion whichextends from the rear panel 3 covers the crotch area.

Adjacent the waistline of the wearer the outside of the front panel 2 isprovided with one or more fastening elements 15 (see FIGURES 2 and 4)which cooperate with similar elements 16 on the upper end of theextending portion of the narrower side of the back panel 3.

The outer surface of the narrower side of the front panel 3 has a tyingstrip 20 attached thereto at a position which is adjacent the left hipbone of the wearer, the same being adapted for cooperation with a tyingstrip 21 which is sewed to and extends from the upper end of theextending portion of the wider side of the rear or back panel 3.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 6, the wider side of the rear .panel 3extends around the right side of the wearer, over the abdomen and ontothe left-side to overlap with the previously positioned narrower side ofthe back panel, etc., and terminates in a generally vertical but slopingside edge 30 which extends upwardly from a position adjacent the centralportion of the frontal area of the upper left leg to a position which isadjacent the left hip bone.

When applied to the body of the wearer in the manner described, thelower terminal ends of the extending portions of the back panel 3provide curved edges 3a as shown in FIGURE 6; and the crotch panel 4 andthe adjacent portions of the body of the wearer are covered.

Tucks 25 and other well known tailoring features are employed wheredesired.

As illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, the garment resembles a short skirtin front and a pair of shorts in the rear.

When applied to the human figure the novel garment is self-supporting,provides a double cover for the waist and upper portions of the legs andbut a single cover for the buttocks. It possesses no vertical seams; andnowhere on it is there a meeting, or coming together of fabric, as wouldbe the case in a pant leg. Accordingly, there is no restriction in thephysical activity of the wearer.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in theart that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since variousmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-supporting nether garment comprising front and back panelsconnected by a narrow crotch portion, the side edges of said front andback panels, when the garment is in an extended condition, beingreversely curved and merging into concave side edges delineating saidnarrow crotch portion; said front panel being substantially symmetricalabout a center-line extending transversely of the width thereof andsuflicient in size and shape to substantially cover the abdomen andcrotch area of the wearer; the upper and outer ends of said front panel,when worn by the wearer, terminating in narrow bands which extendrearwardly about the waist and which may be secured together in suchmanner as to entirely support said front panel; said back panel being ofsubstantially greater overall width than the width of said front paneland asymmetrical about a center-line extending transversely of the widththereof; the narrower side of said asymmetrical back panel being adaptedto extend partially around the body of the wearer and terminate betweenthe crotch area and the right hip bone; the, wider side of said backpanel being adapted to substantially overlap the immediatelyaforementioned portion of the narrower side of the back panel andterminate in a generally vertical edge which commences in front of themid-portion of the left leg of the wearer and slopes upwardly andrearwardly to adjacent the left hip bone; means for securing the upperend of the narrower side of said back panel to the adjacent portion ofsaid front panel; and means for securing the terminal end of the widerside of said back panel to the narrower side panel While in saidoverlapping position; the narrower side of said back panel being ofapproximately the same height as the wider and overlapping side thereof.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower ends of the terminaledges of both the narrower and wider sides of said back panel areconvexly curved.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the narrow bands which extend fromthe upper and outer ends of said front panel about the waist of thewearer are of such size and shape as to permit of their being readilytied together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,424,720 7/ 1947Stoehr 2-224 2,443,474 6/1948 Morgan 2-67 2,567,442 9/1951 Mitchell 2-672,850,741 9/1958 Marshall et al 2-227 FOREIGN PATENTS 126,045 11/1947Australia.

ROBERT V. SLOAN, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

1. A SELF-SUPPORTING NETHER GARMENT COMPRISING FRONT AND BACK PANELSCONNECTED BY A NARROW CROTCH PORTION, THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FRONT ANDBACK PANELS, WHEN THE GARMENT IS IN AN EXTENDED CONDITION, BEINGREVERSELY CURVED AND MERGING INTO CONCAVE SIDE EDGES DELINEATING SAIDNARROW CROTCH PORTION; SAID FRONT PANEL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SYMMETRICALABOUT A CENTER-LINE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE WIDTH THEREOF ANDSUFFICIENT IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER THE ABDOMEN ANDCROTCH AREA OF THE WEARER; THE UPPER AND OUTER ENDS OF SAID FRONT PANEL,WHEN WORN BY THE WEARER, TERMINATING IN NARROW BANDS WHICH EXTENDREARWARDLY ABOUT THE WAIST AND WHICH MAY BE SECURED TOGETHER IN SUCHMANNER AS TO ENTIRELY SUPPORT SAID FRONT PANEL; SAID BACK PANEL BEING OFSUBSTANTIALLY GREATER OVERALL WIDTH THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID FRONT PANELAND ASYMMETRICAL ABOUT A CENTER-LINE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE WIDTHTHEREOF; A NARROWER SIDE OF SAID ASYMMETRIC BACK PANEL BEING ADAPTED TOEXTEND PARTIALLY AROUND THE BODY OF THE WEARER AND TERMINATE BETWEEN THECROTCH AREA OF THE RIGHT HIP BONE; THE WIDER SIDE OF SAID BACK PANELBEING ADAPTED TO SUBSTANTIALLYOVERLAP THE IMMEDIATELY AFOREMENTIONEDPORTION OF THE NARROWER SIDE OF THE BACK PANEL AND TERMINATE IN AGENERALLY VERTICAL EDGE WHICH COMMENCES IN FRONT OF THE MID-PORTION OFTHE LEFT LEG OF THE WEARER AND SLOPES UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY TOADJACENT THE LEFT HIP BONE; MEANS FOR SECURING THE UPPER END OF THENARROWER SIDE OF SAID BACK PANEL TO THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID FRONTPANEL; AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE TERMINAL END OF THE WIDER SIDE OF SAIDBACK PANEL TO THE NARROWER SIDE PANEL WHILE IN SAID OVERLAPPINGPOSITION; THE NARROWER SIDE OF SAID BACK PANEL BEING OF APPROXIMATELYTHE SAME HEIGHT AS THE WIDER AND OVERLAPPING SIDE THEREOF.